Testimonials From Clients and Students

Having just finished Hendrik's seminar on “Starting and Running a Woodworking Business” I've got to shout to all out there that if you are contemplating making your hobby a business or have already decided and are about to take the plunge then you must attend this seminar regardless of how much research you've already done.

Why? Here's your chance to pick the brains of a man who risked all and succeeded by walking away from a very lucrative career to not only pursue his love of craft but become a master at it. Why would you miss the chance to sit in a room with someone who has actually done it? If you are too far away to attend Hendrik’s seminar then please buy the book, my feeling is that you'd be negligent to begin without it, this guy knows his stuff!

Hendrik pulls no punches, and who’d want him to. Let’s face it this will be hard but if we love our craft and truly want to do this then he believes that we can succeed just as he did. Hendrik helps us to take off our rose coloured glasses; to see with eyes wide open. This seminar could be easily two days instead of one and it was a pleasure to sit in a room full of craftsmen.

Thank you Hendrik, if you ever decide to add a more in-depth continuation of this seminar; a second day perhaps, sign me up man!

Spending 4 months researching information about starting a woodworking business, still left so many questions unanswered. That is when Hendrik’s “Starting and Running a Woodworking Business” seminar caught my attention and having been to a few other seminars given by Hendrik, I knew this seminar would be extremely detailed and well planned.

As thorough as Hendrik is, the seminar covered so much detailed information including start up costs/considerations, size of shop, insurance, bylaws, costing of products, potential mistakes you may make and so much more. In addition, I found his 40 page handout an excellent reference document as my future business partner and I continue to plan our business.

Hendrik, thank you for providing a seminar solely focused on a passion so many have and others just dream about. You are an example that one can turn a hobby or life-long passion into a successful business venture. Wishing you continued success and may ours be just as successful as yours.

-- Kimberly H. (Mississauga, Ontario, Canada)

Just today I was thinking about writing you to thank you for the Starting and Running Your Own Woodworking Business seminar. The seminar was, in short, a real eye-opener to say the least. There seems to be so much more to the business side of woodworking than I had ever imagined. Even though I'm sure the first couple of years will be tough as I'm starting out, I feel more confident going into it knowing that I have the right 'tools' in my box now.

However I have to admit that for me, the most valuable part of the course was listening to your experiences as a woodworker as well as those of the others who attended. I was shocked to learn that people from all walks of life, including well-paid professionals, are willing to give up their careers for something they love. I think that's super and it gave me even more confidence.

Thank you very much for a great day and I hope you and your family have a wonderful and safe summer.

-- Rob V. (Toronto, Ontario, Canada)

Hendrik, I would like to thank you for doing the Business Seminar this past June. I found it incredibly informative and timely in my case as I am retiring shortly and plan on starting a woodworking business. I have struggled with a lot of issues, one of which is whether to conduct my business out of my house or off-site. Your discussion about insurance liabilities convinced me that it would be best off-site.

You covered literally every issue that I could foresee me having to deal with. I now feel that I have a good grasp of what to expect and what I need to do to ensure a healthy, successful business.

Thank you again.

-- David E. (Burlington, Ontario, Canada)

Hendrik, I wanted to thank you for the wonderful day I had attending your seminar on "Starting and Running a Woodworking Business". It has been a dream of mine for a couple of years to turn my love of woodworking into a career. Your seminar gave me the information and most importantly the confidence I needed to take the next step. Your knowledge of the business issues such as taxes, zoning, and customer satisfaction exceeded my expectations. Less than six days after attending the seminar, I used the information you presented to register my part time business and I have no doubts that I will be attending more seminars at Passion for Wood.

-- Steve S. (Stouffville, Ontario, Canada)

Thanks again for the help you've been in getting me started in a new career. You've been generous with your time and guidance. The practical experience and the knowledge I've gained from you have firmed up the foundation I'll be building on up north."

I know that you will continue to grow even more successful both in your family life and your profession. You have courage and common sense, creativity and a determined focus as well as an ongoing thirst for knowledge. To have all that and also be good with people and an effective instructor.....you'll do well!

-- Greg D. (Combermere, Ontario, Canada)

Thank you for having brought insight to an industry that is filled with difficulties, and where the love for what we do at times blinds us from the harsh realities. If one can get past the pit falls and endure, this career can have many beautiful rewards.

It is a pleasure to have met you and I have the utmost respect for a person that is willing to share his wealth of information without any hesitancy. There are too many people in our industry that will take their knowledge to their graves and that is very sad. I strongly believe in establishing a network of support around us which will assist everyone within that circle.

The networking that has taken place may have an immense impact on the future needs of my company and I thank you for that. It would be my pleasure at some point in the near future to take your intensive course. I am self taught and never shy away from learning proper techniques.

-- Joe S. (Woodbridge, Ontario, Canada)

I wanted to say how much I liked your seminar on Starting and Running a Woodworking Business. You explained the hard facts on tax, insurance, and such very well, and then gave good coverage on the less numeric areas like making the transition, and dealing with customers. So I learned a good deal.

However, some of the things I learned were not explicitly stated, but useful just the same. These included: That the tools are much less important than most of us think (perhaps least important in determining success). Necessary, but not sufficient in itself, is skill (surprise) - we can always study, practice, or take a course from people like you. The most important factors appear to be: intelligence, presentation, flexibility, drive, and the most important of all: Having a good 'fit' with what you want to do. If it isn't 'who you are', you will never have the stamina to overcome the obstacles. Each of us has to determine to what extent we have these qualities.

As regards to my thoughts on becoming a wood turner, I now have the beginning of a schedule and plan to make the transition that takes into account tax benefits, and risk minimization.

-- Peter W. (Milton, Ontario, Canada)

Hendrik, I'd like to thank you for your expertise and insight at the seminars and one-on-one courses that I have attended and most recently your seminar, 'Starting and Running a Woodworking Business'. The detail was excellent and it provided me many tips for improving my chances of success in my own independent woodworking ventures. I look forward to your expertise in future seminars and lessons.

-- Terence S. (Toronto, Ontario, Canada)

I met Hendrik earlier this year at the K-W Woodworking show and had a very good conversation with him about woodworking and my own plans to switch my career to a full-time woodworking business similar to his. I found him very approachable and knowledgeable, and since he is someone who had made a similar career shift himself, I jumped at the chance to attend his new 'Starting and Running a Woodworking Business' seminar.

Now that the seminar is over, I can wholeheartedly recommend it for anyone who is planning to start such a business themselves. I found all of the information, from the business details to discussions of what to build and how to price it, very informative, interesting, and encouraging. Hendrik's experiences of his own career move allowed him to suggest many alternative solutions to the various problems that may be faced in such a move. He was also able to recommend things that work and caution against things that don't, and to be encouraging and realistic at the same time. The seminar has already allowed me to clarify and focus my own plans, and it has given me lots of information to draw on as I put my plans in place in the coming months.

-- Scott K. (Waterloo, Ontario, Canada)

I've been managing my own non-woodworking businesses for the past 20 years, both corporations and sole proprietorships; and I still learned many useful tips from Hendrik's woodworking business seminar! His attention to detail here was just as thorough as that evidenced in his exceptional hand-crafted furniture.